


Backwoods Barbie

by BearWithAHat



Series: Cowboy Lesteban [3]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Cowboy Hats, Cuddling & Snuggling, Equestrian, Established Relationship, Fluff, Horseback Riding, M/M, gays wearing cowboy hats, horse girls au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:47:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29211363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BearWithAHat/pseuds/BearWithAHat
Summary: Lance wants to teach his boyfriend how to ride horses, and cuddling ensues afterward.
Relationships: Esteban Ocon/Lance Stroll
Series: Cowboy Lesteban [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1898983
Kudos: 18





	Backwoods Barbie

**Author's Note:**

> hiii so this is the third part of my dumb au where lance is a rodeo cowboy and esteban is his sweet simp bf :o) this probably isnt the greatest thing ive ever written but sometimes one simply must write cowboy lesteban as a way to heal the soul
> 
> lance's horse in this is named dancer, after northern dancer, a famous canadian racehorse hehe

Taking a few months off from competing definitely didn't earn any complaints from Lance. He got to sleep in much more and he enjoyed getting to spend more time at home rather than traveling to another rodeo to compete, plus the lack of cuts and bruises from falling off horses was nice.

His favourite part of all was the fact that he had much more time to spend with Esteban at home. It was nice to wake up to the feeling of being curled up against the Frenchman's chest and they got to spend lazy days together, wrapped up in bed until Lance had to get up and feed the horses. That was another aspect of time off that Lance enjoyed; he had more time to simply ride his horses for fun instead of focusing on bronc riding and bucking horses. The little ranch they had was his pride and joy and he loved getting to spend more time with his own horses.

Despite the fact that they lived on the farm together, Esteban knew just about nothing about horses. He came down to the barn and watched Lance when he was working with the horses sometimes, and he always came to watch him compete in rodeos, but he himself had very little knowledge and no experience with them. It never occurred to Lance to try to teach Esteban about horses until he took some time off and had the time for things like that.

A pair of warm lips pressed to his neck woke Lance up one morning. Esteban was hugging him from behind and nuzzling his face into his neck, and Lance smiled and reached up to ruffle Esteban's hair. It was rather clear that Esteban had just woken up too, from the way he yawned and seemed like he was preparing to go to sleep again.

"Is there anything you want to do today?" Lance asked. He rolled over to face him, bringing a hand up to stroke Esteban's cheek with the back of his hand.

"Hmm, not really. As long as we get to do it together," Esteban hummed, kicking the sheets away and pressing himself closer to Lance to kiss him.

Lance smiled into it, relaxing into the feeling of his lips and letting his eyes fall shut. As much as he would have loved to stay in bed with Esteban, sharing more kisses and staying in their soft pyjamas the entire day, he had other ideas for what they should spend the day doing. Of course, it all depended on if Esteban said yes, and Lance wasn't quite sure if he would agree to it or not.

"How about you let me teach you how to ride a horse?" Lance asked, sweetly batting his eyelashes, "we've been together for long enough that it's a bit weird that you haven't been on a horse yet."

Esteban raised an eyebrow. He propped himself up on one elbow and gave Lance a look as he considered it, and Lance couldn't tell what he was going to say just from his expression alone.

"As long as they don't buck me off, I suppose I'll give it a try. You have to help me though, and if I fall off then I can't guarantee that I'll get back on," Esteban agreed warily a few seconds later, and Lance beamed with excitement.

"You won't get bucked off, I promise. Let's get up now, we can cuddle after you get on a horse for the first time," Lance sang as he sprang energetically out of bed. Any trace of sleepiness had left him and he felt like he had been awake for hours as he tugged Esteban's hand to get him out of bed too.

They went to the kitchen to get something to eat, and afterward they congregated back up in their bedroom to get dressed. For Lance, it was just like any other day; he didn't even have to think twice about pulling on a pair of old and worn jeans and a loosely fitted button up shirt, the usual apparel for his work on the ranch. He had some other clothes in his closet, things that looked more mainstream and fancy, but he generally dressed in the same unremarkable farm wear each day.

It didn't occur to him that Esteban wouldn't know how to dress to ride horses, and so it was just a little bit funny to him when he turned around to see Esteban waiting for him in a pair of skinny jeans.

"Babe, you can't ride a horse in skinny jeans," Lance said, doing his best to bite back a laugh.

"Why not? They're the only pants I have," Esteban asked with a frown.

"Well, you could if you wanted to have your pants split down the seam. Come on, you can wear some of my stuff," Lance took his hand and pulled him into his closet. 

Esteban watched with a concerned look as Lance threw a pair of looser and rather faded jeans at him, and he was just putting them on when Lance turned around with a pair of chaps too, which he insisted that Esteban had to wear. Since he wasn't the horse expert of their relationship, Esteban swallowed his pride and allowed Lance to put the chaps on him, no matter how weird he thought it made himself look. 

"I don't think I make this look half as good as you do," Esteban winced while looking himself over in the mirror. He had been given a pair of Lance's boots to wear too, and Lance was sorting through his variety of hats to find one that he thought would look good on his boyfriend.

Lance came bounding up to him with two hats, one which he elegantly placed on his own head and the other which he gave to Esteban. Esteban blushed and set it on top of his head, watching as Lance broke out into an adoring smile and squeezed his hands together. The Canadian kissed his cheek, making some remark about how handsome he looked, and Esteban didn't have a chance to say anything else before he was being led out of the house and down to the barn.

It was still fairly early in the morning, the sun gently perking over the horizon and warming everything up. Inside the pretty wooden barn, the horses were beginning to stir, having been fed by one of the farmhands a little while earlier. The smell of leather, hay, and the rich scent of the horses themselves was one that Esteban had come to get used to and associate with home.

Lance owned a few horses, despite the fact that he had the money to afford more horses than anyone could ever need. He kept a few for riding for pleasure and for the other types of western sports that he liked to do. 

They poked their heads over the doors of their stalls, their sweet brown eyes peering curiously at Lance and Esteban. Lance loved all of them, but he knew that some were better than others for being ridden by an inexperienced person. He led Esteban over to one of the stalls, where a tall, docile old stallion stood. The horse was a deep bay colour, with a white blaze down his face and white socks on his legs.

"Dancer is the quietest of them, he'll take good care of you," Lance said, slipping a halter onto the stallion and taking the lead in one hand. He lead Dancer out into the aisle way, stopping by the box of brushes that sat nearby.

Cautiously approaching, Esteban said, "he's so _tall_ ," and tentatively placed a hand on Dancer's neck. When the horse didn't do anything except lower his head into a relaxed posture, Esteban let out a breath and began to gently stroke his neck. 

"Well, tall horse for a tall boyfriend," Lance joked, nudging Esteban with his elbow. He leaned down to pick up one of the brushes and handed it to Esteban, who looked down at the brush and then back up to him in confusion. "Oh, he needs to be brushed before we put the saddle on him," Lance explained, "just brush him gently and make sure you're going in the direction that the hair grows in."

Esteban ran the brush over the horse's neck and shoulders first, gradually making his way along his body and doing his best to get any particles of dust off. Lance watched with a lovesick smile the entire time. Seeing his boyfriend, who he loved, and his horse, who he also loved, was almost too much for Lance's heart to handle. He was clearly enjoying the sight of Esteban interacting with Dancer.

The horse relaxed one of his back legs, shifting his weight to his other three and let his eyes fall shut, and Esteban thought he was on the verge of falling asleep as he brushed him. By the time he was done, Esteban thought Dancer didn't look any cleaner than he did before, granted Lance always kept his horses in pristine shape and Dancer had already been gleaming beforehand.

"Does he like me?" Esteban asked, holding out his hand to let the horse smell him. Dancer's velvety nose tickled against his palm and Esteban felt his lips curl into a smile.

"I think so. Who wouldn't like you?" Lance flirted, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. Esteban blushed, looking away and brushing his fingers through Dancer's mane. He placed the brush back in the box of brushes and looked back to Lance for instruction.

Lance handed him the lead, and Esteban was a bit hesitant to take it. He wouldn't put it past himself to somehow be bad at getting a horse to stand still, though he didn't have any time to say anything before Lance was turning around and walking away. Esteban fumbled with the lead and gave Dancer a look, holding his breath for a few seconds until he was assured that the horse couldn't have cared less that someone else was holding him. He stroked his neck once more, impressed by the strength that was elegantly held in the crest of his neck.

When Lance came back, he was carrying his saddle and a pink saddle pad, his favourite colour that he loved to deck his horses out in too. Esteban didn't know the first thing about putting saddles on horses, and so he awkwardly stood and held Dancer as Lance expertly put his saddle on. Cinching up the girth didn't take too long, and Lance put his bridle on before giving Esteban an excited expression and saying, "alright, time for you to ride a horse!"

Esteban swallowed nervously and followed Lance outside. He felt a little ridiculous in the chaps, hat, and boots, and he got the feeling that he'd look a little ridiculous on the horse too. Dancer seemed calm and well behaved enough, but Esteban still had some reservations. Horses seemed too tall and like they had just a little bit of evil in them, Esteban thought as he followed Lance.

Lance stopped Dancer in the outdoor arena, in front of the block he stood on to get on the taller horses. He put the reins over Dancer's head, holding onto them and looking at Esteban.

"Just climb up to the top step, put your foot in the stirrup, and swing your other leg over. Western saddles are pretty comfortable to sit in, it's like an old rocking chair," Lance advised him with an easy smile.

Esteban did his best to silence his inner critic and did as his boyfriend said. The leather of the saddle felt a bit foreign under his hands and he recalled all the nights he had waited for Lance to get in bed after cleaning his saddle. He shook the thoughts from his head and swung his leg over the horse's back, sitting carefully and gripping the horn of the saddle. Lance had to help him slide the toe of his boots into the stirrups and Esteban gripped the reins in one hand, keeping his fingers of the other wrapped around the horn.

What stood out to him the most was how high up he felt. Esteban was already tall on his own, and on a tall horse like Dancer, he felt like he could see the entire world from the horse's back. It was almost the slightest bit daunting, and Esteban was grateful to have Lance standing on the ground next to him.

"How does it feel up there?" Lance asked, putting a hand affectionately on his knee. Looking down at Lance, Esteban couldn't find it in himself to tell Lance that he didn't think riding horses was for him.

"Very high up, and like I don't know what I'm doing," Esteban admitted. Dancer stood still, like he was more interested in taking a nap than in the person on his back, and Esteban felt himself beginning to calm down after a few seconds. If he fell off, then at least he'd get to have Lance take care of him for a bit, he told himself.

Lance smiled up at him and said, "you look cute. Give him a nudge with your heel to get him going, and let's just walk a circle around the arena together."

Esteban softly tapped his heel back against the horse's side. When Dancer didn't seem to even notice the first time, he did it again, hoping that at least something would happen. Dancer let out an easy breath and began to walk forward. He went slowly, his head down, and it felt faster than it was due to his long strides. Esteban wasn't sure what else to do and just sat there, keeping one hand on the horn of the saddle. Lance walked beside them and guided Dancer around the arena, although Esteban was sure that the quiet horse would have walked the fenceline on his own naturally.

"Sit up a bit, keep your back flat and your shoulders back. Good posture is the key to balance on horses," Lance advised him. Esteban did his best to straighten up, and he pushed his heels down when Lance told him to immediately after.

What he wasn't expecting was how much it stretched the back of his legs. Esteban winced slightly at the feeling and made a mental note to never skip leg day again. Riding was a surprisingly physical activity, and Esteban's appreciation for Lance's physical abilities increased indefinitely as he rode. Esteban felt more like he was just being carried around by a horse who was probably bored, but Lance insisted that he was doing a great job.

"I think I'll leave the horseback riding to you," Esteban chided when Lance instructed him to bring Dancer to a halt.

"Well, you did a lovely job. I won't make you ride again if you don't want to, but I think we should absolutely go on a trail ride together for our next anniversary," Lance said, patting Dancer's neck and winking at Esteban.

Lance held Dancer as Esteban peeled himself out of the saddle. His legs felt stiff as he dropped the stirrups and slid out of the saddle, landing on the ground with his borrowed boots kicking up dust. Esteban groaned and leaned forward, stretching his back and cringing at the feeling in his legs.

"It leaves you sore, doesn't it?" Lance laughed, and Esteban nodded quickly, "I'll go untack Dancer and you go take a hot bath. Don't be too quick to get out though, I want to cuddle you in the bath."

Esteban was more than happy to agree.

A couple hours later and after a soak in the bath, Esteban found himself laying in bed with Lance once more. He had put on whatever soft clothes he could find after taking a bath, and his sore body wanted nothing more than to lay on the mattress for the entire rest of the day. Lance flopped back down with him, smiling lovingly and instantly curling up beside him.

"Thank you for letting me put you on a horse. You were like my little backwoods barbie," Lance cooed, nuzzling his nose against Esteban's cheek. He wrapped his arms around him, rolling onto his side and drawing Esteban into a sweet kiss. Esteban melted into it, closing his eyes and tangling a hand into Lance's fluffy hair.

"It was an interesting experience. Seeing you all happy was worth how badly my legs hurt now, though," Esteban said with a yawn.

Lance let out a soft noise and reached between them to gently run his hand over Esteban's leg, kneading at the muscles of his thighs. Esteban sighed blissfully and clung to Lance's shoulders, tucking his head neatly into the side of Lance's neck. He did his best to lay still as Lance carefully massaged the inside of his thighs, his fingers helping to release some of the tension gathered there. It occurred to him that he should perhaps do the same for Lance after he rode, though Lance didn't seem to struggle with soreness that much since he had been riding horses for years. Still, Esteban was sure Lance wouldn't object to Esteban rubbing his back or something more often.

Esteban inhaled deeply; Lance smelled like the vanilla scent of the bubbles they had poured into the bathtub. He pressed his lips against the warm skin of Lance's neck, eliciting a laugh from Lance when the stubble on his chin brushed against him. After a few minutes of Esteban lazily trailing kisses down his neck, Lance placed a hand beneath his chin and tilted his head up to capture his lips in a proper kiss once more.

"You look ready to fall asleep again," Lance murmured when they parted, resting his forehead against Esteban's.

"I don't want to get out of bed for the rest of the day," Esteban responded, shifting to rest his head against Lance's chest. Lance wrapped his arms around him and kissed the top of his head, patting his back soothingly.

"Then you don't have to. I'll cuddle you for the rest of the day, and I can make us something nice for dinner later. I love spending time with you like this," Lance promised, the subtle vibrations of his chest helping to lull Esteban back to sleep.

A smile came across Esteban's face as he couldn't keep his eyes open for much longer. "That sounds perfect," Esteban whispered.

He wondered how he had gotten so lucky in life.

**Author's Note:**

> if you know where the phrase 'backwoods barbie' comes from then i love you jdfhshg :o)
> 
> as always you can find me on tumblr @esteboo-ocon


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